Callum & Harper (Sleepless 1)

“Don’t even think about it, Cherry Bomb!” Both the girls were laughing so hysterically at me that I couldn’t stifle the grin threatening the corners of my mouth. “Seriously, Cherry, if you tell her the rest, I’ll never talk to you again!” She nodded but the laughing tears in her eyes told me otherwise.

I slowly unwound my hand from her mouth and she jumped up, running to the other side of the room.

“And then,” Cherry said, betraying me, but she stopped talking just in time to escape my chase. She finished her story as I chased her in circles, as if I wasn’t humiliated enough. “He couldn’t stop the momentum and...”

“Don’t do it, Cher, I beg of you!”

“He tripped face first into the urinal on the wall!”

I gave up the chase and fell to the ground, my back on the floor, and covered my face in utter embarrassment. “You did it. You told her.”

“And the worst part is someone had their camera out and caught it all on film,” Cherry finished, sucking in a labored breath.

Harper was laughing so hard, she couldn’t breathe.

“Why is my life so hard?” I asked the ceiling.

“Oh my God, Callum. That is the best and worst story I’ve ever heard!” Harper said, falling to her back on the sofa in amusement. She sighed loudly, like she’d just caught her breath.

“I’m going to die of embarrassment,” I said.

Cherry started to rummage through the bags, chuckling to herself. Harper stood up and laid down next to me. She wound her arm with mine and I let my hands slide off my beet red face to the floor. I turned my head to stare at her.

“You can’t die of embarrassment, trust me.”

“Can I die of humiliation?”

“No,” she said, taking in my flushed face. “Well, maybe,” she teased.

I elbowed her, then stood up before taking her hands and bringing her to her feet. Her body came dangerously close to mine as she stood and I had to shake my head to regain composure. All I wanted to do was attack her face and neck with my lips.

I walked over to the bag. “I’m going to kill you, Cherry.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, plopping herself on the sofa and taking a long swig from her coffee. “Ah, the nectar of the gods.”

“You know,” I said, removing my own coffee from the carton and setting in next to Cherry, “Harper doesn’t drink coffee.”

“What?” Cherry asked. “Get out of my house.”

I laughed. By this time, Harper had started going through the bag.

“You got me strawberry jam? Oh! And extra sugar! I think I’m in love with you, Callum!”

Customarily, a statement like this would be passed over as exaggerated but an uncomfortable silence filled the room and Cherry took it as some sort of hint. Harper just stood with her back turned toward me, pretending to fiddle with the lid to her tea.

“I’m gonna’ hop in the shower,” Cherry said, winking at me and making me blush.

As Cherry, left the room, the silence grew so thick I could almost reach out and grip it in my hands.

“Harper,” I said, clearing my throat. “I, uh, wanted to...”

A loud knock came at the door. Damn it!

“I’ll get it,” Harper said, setting down her tea but I realized who it might be and jumped up quickly.

“No, um, let me get it,” I said, practically cutting her off.

When I swung open the door, Sam stood there again and Harper came to stand behind me.